Method and apparatus for mapping a community through user interactions on a computer network

• US 6,963,879 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2004
• Issued: 11/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Bhat, Tapan, Stubenvoll, David J., Zhen, Fangyao, Colver, Wallace, DiFatta, Charles III
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, CHERYL RENEA
• Application Number:
  US10/856,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20040236771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 707 2- 5, 707/100, 707/10, 707/102, 707/104.1, 705/1, 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/947 Human resources
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A system for building a database that stores information representative of the organizational structure of a community of users of a computer network is disclosed. The system uses an online computer applications service that facilitates the initiation and completion of transactions between users in the community. Initially, a first user from the community registers on the computer applications service and information representative of the first user is stored in the database. Next, a first transaction record is created in the database from information inputted by the first registered user. The first transaction record includes at least one field representing an identity of a first unregistered user in the community, a field representing a role of the first registered user in the first transaction, and a field representing a role of the first unregistered user in the first transaction. After creation of the first transaction record, the first unregistered user is invited to register with the service when information representative of the first transaction is sent to the first unregistered user. In response to this invitation, the first unregistered user registers with the service and information representative of the first unregistered user is stored in the database, thereby transforming the first unregistered user into a second registered user. After registration of the second user, further users from the community are invited onto the service and registered on the database by repeating the above process.

Claims

1. A method for building a database that stores information representative of a hierarchical organizational structure of a community of users of a computer network, comprising:

registering a first user from the community on a computer applications service by storing information representative of the first user in the database, wherein the computer applications service records initiation and completion of transactions between users in the community;

automatically generating a first transaction record in the database from information inputted by the first registered user, wherein the first transaction record includes at least one field representing an identity of first unregistered user in the community, a field representing a role of the first registered user in the first transaction; and

a field representing a role of the first unregistered user in the first transaction; and

inviting the first unregistered user to register with the service by transmitting information representative of the first transaction to the first unregistered user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering the first unregistered user with the service, in response to a reaction of the first unregistered user to the inviting step, by storing information representative of the first unregistered user in the database, thereby transforming the first unregistered user into a second registered user.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

registering further users from the community with the service by;

creating a further transaction record in the database from information inputted by a given registered user, wherein the further transaction record includes at least one field representing an identity of a given unregistered user in the community, a field representing a role of the given registered user in the further transaction, and a field representing a role of the given unregistered user in the further transaction;

inviting the given unregistered user to register with the service by transmitting information representative of the further transaction to the given unregistered user;

registering the given unregistered user with the service, in response to a reaction of the given unregistered user, by storing information representative of the given unregistered user in the database, thereby transforming the given unregistered user into a registered user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a second transaction record in the database from information inputted by a registered user initiating a second transaction, wherein the second transaction record includes at least one field representing an identity of a registered user in the community required to approve the second transaction, and a field representing a role of the registered user initiating the second transaction.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

predicting an identity of the registered user in the community required to approve the second transaction by querying the database to identify a peer of the registered user initiating the second transaction, and then selecting a manager of the peer as the registered user in the community required to approve the second transaction.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the community of users corresponds to a set of employees associated with a particular business.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first transaction corresponds to a vacation request made by the first registered user to the first unregistered user, wherein the role of the first registered user in the first transaction corresponds to a transaction requestor, and the role of the first unregistered user in the first transaction corresponds to a transaction approver.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first transaction corresponds to a purchase order request made by the first registered user to the first unregistered user, wherein the role of the first registered user in the first transaction corresponds to a transaction requestor, and the role of the first unregistered user in the first transaction corresponds to a transaction approver.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

mapping a work-flow structure of the community of users by querying the database.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

mapping the hierarchical organizational structure of the community of users by querying the database.

11. A system for building a database that stores information representative of a hierarchical organizational structure of a community of users of a computer network, comprising:

a server that registers a first user from the community on a computer applications service by storing information representative of the first user in the database, wherein the computer applications service facilitates initiation and completion of transactions between users in the community;

wherein the server creates a first transaction record in the database from information inputted by the first registered user, the first transaction record includes at least one field representing an identity of a first unregistered user in the community, a field representing a role of the first registered user in the first transaction; and

a field representing a role of the first unregistered user in the first transaction;

wherein the server invites the first unregistered user to register with the service by transmitting information representative of the first transaction to the first unregistered user; and

wherein the server registers the first unregistered user with the service, in response to a reaction of the first unregistered use to receipt of the information representative of the first transaction, by storing information representative of the first unregistered user in the database, thereby transforming the first unregistered use into a second registered user.

12. A system for building a database that stores information representative of a hierarchical organizational structure of a community of users of a computer network comprising:

means for registering a first user from the community on a computer applications service by storing information representative of the first user in the database, wherein the computer applications service facilitates initiation and completion of transactions between users in the community;

means for creating a first transaction record in the database from information inputted by the first registered user, wherein the first transaction record includes at least one field representing an identity of a first unregistered user in the community, a field representing a role of the first registered user in the first transaction; and

a field representing a role of the first unregistered user in the first transaction; and

means for inviting the first unregistered user to register with the service by transmitting information representative of the first transaction to the first unregistered user; and

means for registering the first unregistered user with the service, in response to a reaction of the first unregistered use to the inviting step, by storing information representative of the first unregistered user in the database, thereby transforming the first unregistered use into a second registered user.

13. A method for building a database that stores information representative of a hierarchical organizational structure of a community of users of a computer network, comprising:

storing information representative of the first user from the community in the database, wherein the computer applications service records initiation and completion of transactions between users in the community;

creating a first transaction record in the database from information inputted by the first user, wherein the first transaction record includes at least one field representing an identity of a second user in the community, a field representing a role of the first user in the first transaction; and

a field representing a role of the second user in the first transaction; and

transmitting information representative of the first transaction to the second user; and

storing further information representative of the hierarchical organizational structure of the community of users by;

creating a further transaction record in the database from information inputted by a user initiating the further transaction, wherein the further transaction record includes at least one field representing an identity of a user in the community required to approve the further transaction, a field representing a role of the user initiating the further transaction in the further transaction, and a field representing a role of the user initiating the further transaction in the further transaction.

14. A system for building a database that stores information representative of a hierarchical organizational structure of a community of users of a computer network, comprising:

means for storing information representative of the first user from the community in the database, wherein the computer applications service records initiation and completion of transactions between users in the community;

means for automatically generating a first transaction record in the database from information inputted by the first user, wherein the first transaction record includes at least one field representing an identity of a second user in the community, a field representing a role of the first user in the first transaction; and

a field representing a role of the second user in the first transaction;

means for transmitting information representative of the first transaction to the second user; and

means for storing further information representative of the hierarchical organizational structure of the community of users, said means for storing further information including;

means for creating a further transaction record in the database from information inputted by a user initiating the further transaction, wherein the further transaction record includes at least one field representing an identity of a user in the community required to approve the further transaction, a field representing a role of the user initiating the further transaction in the further transaction, and a field representing a role of the user initiating the further transaction in the further transaction.

15. A method for developing a database representing a hierarchical organizational structure of a community of users of a computer network, the method comprising:

registering a first user from the community on a computer applications service by storing information representative of the first user in the database, wherein the computer applications service records initiation and completion of transactions between users in the community;

automatically generating a first transaction record in the database in response to a first transaction between the first registered user and a first unregistered user, wherein the first transaction record includes at least one field representing an identity of the first unregistered user in the community, a field representing a role of the first registered user in the first transaction, and a field representing a role of the first unregistered user in the first transaction; and

inviting the first unregistered user to register with the service.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

registering further users from the community with the service by;

generating a second transaction record in the database in response to a second transaction between a second registered user and a second unregistered user, wherein the second transaction record includes at least one field representing an identity of the second unregistered user in the community, a field representing a role of the second registered user in the second transaction, and a field representing a role of the second unregistered user in the second transaction;

inviting the second unregistered user to register with the service;

registering the second unregistered user with the service, responsive to a response by the second unregistered user.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

generating a description of the hierarchical organizational structure of the registered users in the community from a plurality of transaction records in the databases.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the description is generated by deriving peer-to-peer and superior-to-peer relationships in the hierarchical organizational structure according to the transaction records.